Ongoing Research

In 2006, the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) awarded our group a grant to: develop a computer-simulation model of the natural history and management of knee OA and use the model to conduct policy evaluations on the value and design of specific knee OA treatment and monitoring strategies. Since then, we built and validated the OAPol Model and produced peer-reviewed publications and abstracts. Additional manuscripts are under review or in preparation.

Below you will find brief descriptions of several of our exciting ongoing projects. To learn more about our past, published research projects, please refer to the Published Research page.

Weight Loss Regimens for OA ManagementRecent evidence suggests that weight loss through diet and exercise may help to reduce pain and improve function in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). In response to these new developments, we aim to incorporate weight loss into our model’s OA treatment regimens. This will allow us to extend the results of current research and to estimate the large-scale benefits and cost-effectiveness of weight loss as a treatment for OA.

Cost-Effectiveness of Generic CelecoxibBoth nonselective (ns)- and selective-nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used analgesics for the treatment of knee OA. While ns-NSAIDs are widely available in generic form, the generic formulation of the COX-2 selective NSAID celecoxib was only recently approved by the FDA. As generic formulations are less expensive than their brand-name counterparts, we aim to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of generic celecoxib. In doing so, we seek to provide thresholds of toxicity, efficacy, and costs under which generic celecoxib would be considered a cost-effective option for knee OA pain management.